Review: Glee soundtrack

Musicals are back and better than ever, if the High School Musical trilogy, Mamma Mia, Slumdog Millionaire, and Hugh Jackman have anything to say about it. And if the Cats, Fiddler on the Roof, etc. musicals at the Lindenwood Performing Arts center are any indication, students love the musicals too. Even if you hate musicals, the songs are always toe-tapping and get your attention pretty good. Whenever I hear a High School Musical song come on, I can’t help but smile. Musical songs are a kiss of sunshine on your cheek, a sip of fizzy and bubbly Dr. Pepper, a shot of sugar through the arm.
If you want to brighten your day a little bit, love musicals, or just love singers who sing classic tunes a la American Idol, I recommend the Glee Volume One soundtrack.
For the uninformed, Glee is the new comedy-drama-musical show airing on Wednesday nights on FOX, about a glee club full of unique students from all walks of life learning how to navigate the personal trials and traumas of high school all while learning how to sing and dance. Essentially, it’s for those who have outgrown High School Musical but aren’t ready for Broadway. It’s for those who like offbeat, quirky humor laced with drama. It’s for those who want to have an enjoyable hour of comedy.
Glee Volume One succeeds at transferring the cheery pep, the bubble-fizzed fun onto a portable disc. Those who watch the show on a frequent basis will probably get more out of it than a casual observer but the cd is an enjoyable, fun listen for those not in the know about Glee.
Best thing, there is actual talent in these songs. None of the songs contain any of the teenybopper power-pop that High School Musical was happy to supply and those singing fill the parts pretty well. These aren’t Top 40 artists but they are on par with the more exceptional talent American Idol has to offer.
Some standout tracks include It’s My Life/Confessions Part II, the eyeopening Defying Gavity, Thong Song, Golddigger, True Colors, and the whole cast redention of Don’t Stop Believing. If you want pure mirth, you can’t get much better than a little Gleecked version of Kanye West’s Golddigger or laughing at how similiar the original and Gleecked version of Thong Song really is. If you want showstoppers, try True Colors and Defying Gravity, a powerful nod to the Wicked track. And you can’t get much more fun than with Journey, Glee-style. Now, this version is not going to replace the original anytime soon but thankfully, it doesn’t embarrase the source material. But then again, it’s REALLY hard to mess up Journey. I dare you not to sing along with the whole cast chimes in.
Whether you love musicals, love a better version of American Idol runner-up albums, or just want to listen to good, fun music with a smile on your face, then Glee is for you.
For a snippet of pure Glee fun, here’s a sample of the show:

For a sample of Glee Volume One, see below:
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